On January 17th after 6:00 pm they came and removed bone marrow from Jason's hip. This was a very painful procedure as the needle was shoved through the bone. They swabbed the area with iodine, then they did a bunch of injections for local freezing and because Jason is on pain medication already they didn't give him anything else. Jason imagines the needle was in two parts making like a littel hammer and discribes it as a tap, tap, tap. Then they put a larger needle inside to extract the marrow. Then Jason says the worst part was when they took a chunck of bone for a biopsy, that really hurt. The doctor reports that Jason has a very high pain tolerance and he was an exemplary patient. He was smiling and in good spirits when I returned to the room.

While Jason was having the procedure Dr. Malek and myself talked and I asked him all kinds of questions about India. He told me about their political system, we spoke about the traffic and yes there are lots of accidents regularily. He says India is a safe place and the little three wheel cars are called Ric's short for Ricshaw's. He told me not to be afraid to hire one, they are very safe. Next we talked about food and farming in the area. India is the largest producer of tea, chai is the Indian name for tea. We discussed peppers and whether or not I would be able to take some back for Robin. Dr. Malek assured me he would hook me up with some peppers before we go home. He also told me a name of a shop I could find some nice linens, hopefully we will be able to leave the hospital for some of these things.

This morning we didn't know what was to happen and we were hoping we would be able to go out. I made coffee and we brought the pot over to our Saskatoon friends. We discussed how we all had cabin fever and how hungry we get in the middle of the night. We only get our meals, no snacks etc., Julie thinks she is starving. Dustin will go to the market today to get her some snacks. We are all also feeling a little harassed with the staff as there is a constant flow of people coming into our rooms starting before 6:00 am right up until past 9:30 pm. Honey came into our room while Jason was in the shower and brought a friend, it didn't appear that she needed anything, finally she says, so you are from Canada? Then I got it that we are foreigners and they are interested about our lives at home. So I pulled out the ipad and showed her pictures of our Christmas toboggan party and of our house. They loved the pictures of the snow and giggled when I showed them a snow machine, it was very cute.

Before noon Dr. Malek came to inform us the first injection of stem cell would be arriving today and that Jason would have his first injection around 3 pm. Jason would not be allowed anything else by mouth until then, no lunch or medication either. So much for getting out of the hospital. We expressed our desire to get out of the hospital and Dr. Malek said he did not want Jason to leave to prevent him getting an infection as the stem cells would migrate to an infection rather than to where they were desired to go. Jason made a valid point that he would just be out walking and he had a better chance of getting an infection in the hospital. Dr. Malek really seemed to understand and he spoke about a botanical garden close by that he would look into us visiting. The frustration is that the weather is beautiful, Jason is not sick and we want to experience some of the country. Jason feels like a prisoner in the hospital room. Dr. Malek thinks that all the procedures will be complete by the 25th and then we would be able to go out and about. This Jason told him would be too long of a wait. I am glad that Jason wants to get out and do things because at home he didn't.

Laundry was high on the priority list for me today. I asked the nurse if there was a laundry service that I could use. She made arrangements for someone to come and pick it up and they would deliver it back tomorrow. Perfect, but in India I am learning quickly they do things on their own timetable. At 3:30 I was told to go down to reception and that I would be take to the India RO to register. Jason was still in the room when I left and I asked him to conscious send those little stem cells where they needed to go. Down stairs I saw that Dustin was to accompany us to the RO. We left in a Land Rover type vehicle and were soon plunged into the crazy India traffic. When we got there Dustin and I had to go through a hole in the wall door that said Foreigners only. Out guide told us he would meet us on the other side. We had to get our pictures taken and sat and waited while our guide managed the paperwork. About an hour and a half later we were told to exit the hole in the wall door and that he would again meet us on the other side. While waiting and watching the crazy traffic I pulled out my phone and started taking pictures of the weird vehicles. Soon I heard a whistle and a young lady in uniform approached me and asked if I had been taking pictures. I said yep I was, and she told me it was not allowed. Our guide explained that it was a camp area (police) and no photo's were allowed, they didn't make me erase them or anything. So again we crossed the busy road and our guide told Dustin and I to get into a Ricshaw. I thought he was sending us on our own and imediately asked for our passports. He said he would and let me know that he was coming with us. So away we went in this crazy little three wheeled cart, that when we came to a stop immediately stalled. The man then lifted up a bar a couple of times and it would once again spring to life. I took video of this exciting and once in a life time experience. Dustin and I just kept looking at each other with big smiles on our faces, it was really cool. Our guide lightened up and asked us some work questions and once again made us feel comfortable. When we arrived back at the hospital he did indeed give us back our passports.

I rushed back to our room to see how my boy was but the door was locked and he wasn't in the room. I inquired at the desk where he was and they told me he was in the operating theater. I checked with Dustin and his Mom wasn't back from her liberation treatment either. I decided to go and get some snacks for Jason and I as I knew he would be starving. Dustin came with me and we went to the Reliance Market where I picked up Lays potatoe chips, a toblerone bar, some grapes, Falero candies and some wicked dark chocolate cookies. I also bougt some soy milk and a mountain dew. My groceries came to 895 rupees.

As we again entered the hospital and were waiting for the elevator, our presence again provided us with lots of stares, we really do stand out. The elevator doors opened and a stretcher with a small body covered in paper towel was brought out and behind came a large man broken down with greif. I heard the word Cancer and felt very sad for the poor man. I arrived back at the room and there was still no Jason and still no Julie and that was at 6:30 pm.

Finally close to 7:00 Jason finally came back on a stretcher. They stuck him back in his bed and elevated the bottom of the bed angling Jason head down. He had to stay in that position for two hours with no food or anything. The reasoning for this postition is that CSF fluid does not flow and they want the stem cells to migrate to the brain. Surjio and Dr. Malek both agreed that Jason should try and sleep in this postion tonight and only have liquids and soft foods after the 2 hour wait.

Jason reports that the procedure consisted of them washing his back with iodine, applied local anesthetic and tried to insert the needle but they had trouble because of him not being able to relax properly due to his body position. A nurse took over from two gentlemen that were holding him and she managed to hold him more securely than the men did allowing him to relax properly. Jason made a comment to her that she held him very gently. He also asked the Doctor if he had the right stem cells and if they were sure they were his or maybe they were Julies, the Doctor immediately said no there was no mistake and then Jason let him know he was only joking, the Doctor then relaxed and smiled.

Surjio said he would take us out of the hospital tomorrow!!!! Celebrate for Jason it will do him the world of good. We can not leave India until Jason gets a Ricshaw ride! Also Dr. Malek told Surjio that I needed him to find me peppers and that I wanted to try a pickled lime. Talk to you all tomorrow! Oh and again check out the new pictures